Aper Aku Stadium Pitch Resurfacing Contract: The REAL STORY

 

On the 3rd of March, 2023, the Benue state Government entered into a contract with Monimichelle Sports Facilities Construction Limited to resurface Aper Aku Stadium football pitch following a fabrication that the Nigeria Professional Football League organizer had banned the pitch for hosting matches.

 The contractor, highly recommended, was invited by the then Governor Samuel Ortom, to come and handle the project because it was his company that constructed the same pitch that lasted for 15 years without any serious maintenance.

 Therefore, the contract was awarded to Monimichelle Sports Facility Construction Limited at the cost of N243, 361, 470.00 (Two hundred and Sixty One Million Three Hundred and Sixty One Thousand Four Hundred and Seventy Naira) only. The terms of contract stipulated that 30% of the value of the contract was to be released to the contractor in advance to mobilize him to site. 

 The stadium was handed over to the contractor by the government of Benue State amidst fanfare. While the contractor was waiting for the 30% mobilization, he commenced work because according to the government, the project was time bound as the start of new league season was only 5 months away and the contractor had promised to deliver the project in 3 months.

 The mobilization didn't come till the government of Samuel Ortom handed over to Rev Fr. Dr Hyacinth Alia on the 29th of May, 2023. Since government is a continuum, the present government is obliged to as a matter of public interest fund the project. According to sources from the Ministry of Sports, the Permanent Secretary and his management team had approach Gov Alia in his early days in office over the contract when a cabinet was yet to be put in place and the Governor sanctioned the contract as valid and directed the ministry to go ahead with the execution of the contract.

 However, the shape of things changed suddenly when a cabinet was constituted and Rt. Hon. Terkimbi Kyange was appointed Commissioner for Sports, and within the same period, Barr Paul Edeh won the election as Benue State Football Association Chairman. Informed source said that the lawyer FA Chairman who ordinarily should understand what a contract is, approached the commissioner with the support of Dominic Iorfa with a promise that he will resurface the stadium post-paid. That is, he will be paid after the job is done.

It is said the gullible Commissioner bought into the idea and began the process to terminate the existing contract. At this juncture, he had probably misrepresented the facts of the contract before the State Executive Council and secured an approval to terminate a contract that no part was violated by the contractor.  Instead, it was the state government that was in violation of some aspects of the contract like the delay in cash mobilization, which has made nonsense of the money agreed upon due to the fall in the value of naira. At the time the contract was awarded, one USD was 550 Naira as against 1,300 Naira currently. Another aspect of violation was the unlawful breaking into the stadium site that was duly handed over to the contractor in an open ceremony.

Sadly, on Thursday 9th January, 2024, the contractor was invited to a formal meeting with the Ministry of Sports to be served the notice of termination of his contract without a reason as confessed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr John Akume. The Commissioner who should have explained and delivered the message from the State Executive Council to the contractor deliberately stayed away from the meeting.

It is rather shocking that the commissioner who once served as the Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly and the FA Chairman, Barr Paul Edeh who ordinarily should be custodians of the law would flagrantly disregard a valid contract for selfish reasons.

The misrepresentation of facts of the contract by the Commissioner for Sports to the State Executive Council has the propensity to embarrass the government of Benue State. Within a few months in office, His Excellency, Governor Alia has proved in words and deeds that he is not ready to entertain needless litigations involving his government. Therefore, his appointee (s) shouldn’t be seen to be consciously dragging the government into litigations that are avoidable.

As at the time of writing this story, the contractor’s lawyer, Barr Elegede, had already written and served the government to reconsider the intended action or face litigation, an action that may further delay the renovation work and the return of Lobi Stars to the Aper Aku Stadium for a much longer period. Once the matter is taken to court, the edifice will be shut down pending the determination of the matter by the law court.

For the sake of football and the fans of Lobi Stars Football Club who have been denied the opportunity of watching their darling team for the second season running, Gov Alia who has so far demonstrated unprecedented support for the club should as matter of urgency call his appointee (s) and their accomplices who are involved in the desperate and satanic plot to terminate the contract to order. It will cost the government nothing to allow the contractor to go ahead and do the job to enable Lobi Stars return to Aper Aku Stadium within three months as undertaken by the contractor.

 

Austin Tyowua

Makurdi, Benue State

08033771180